


A King's Promise

by WordCollector



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:19:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6840517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordCollector/pseuds/WordCollector
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>T'Challa makes a promise to Steve Rogers. The promise turns out to be harder to keep than he thought.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>**This story has spoilers for the new Captain America Civil War movie!!**</p>
            </blockquote>





	A King's Promise

**Author's Note:**

> THIS HAS SPOILERS FOR CIVIL WAR. It is one big spoiler, since it takes place right after the movie.

T’Challa had always known that the life of a King was a busy one. Every day was packed with meeting heads of state, leaders in industry, and the governing councils. Not to mention the factory openings, and sports events. He had learned to prioritize from his father. Everyone thought their meeting was important enough to warrant having the King present. King T’Chaka had often delegated to his son, T’Challa. Now King, T’Challa had become a very busy man. 

The first week after James Buchanan Barnes entered the cryo chamber in the palace hospital wing, Steve Rogers was a daily visitor. Rogers was on the hunt for the red notebook of code words, and a way to fix his friend. Having spent many years trying to find his friend, Rogers still needed to help him. Find a way to get him back.

T’Challa only saw Rogers if he went looking for him. Rogers seemed uncomfortable about the concept of royalty, and out of place in the Palace. The medical staff reported that Rogers spent many hours searching his laptop parked next to the cryo tube. If he was going to spend his hours researching, T’Challa supposed one place was as good as another. 

One evening, T’Challa found Rogers eating his supper next to the tube. Rogers seemed surprised by the royal visit. Tried to excuse himself, but the King had his chef send the royal dinner to the medical wing. Together they ate and discussed Rogers’ progress. Barnes was a silent guest, and T’Challa doubted he would approve of Rogers’ strange vigil. The next night T’Challa invited Rogers to eat in the Royal Dining Hall. They ate more comfortably, but Rogers fled as soon as desert was finished. Sighing, T’Challa knew Rogers had fled back to the medical wing.

On the eighth day of his vigil, Rogers found something. 

Wakanda was in the middle of a debate about the export of it’s natural resources. There was division within the leadership, and they needed their King. T’Challa had been engaged in a meeting with the legislature for hours. When he emerged, a message arrived. It contained a letter of thanks from Rogers, and a plea to keep his friend safe.

Canceling the next appointment, T’Challa had his driver bring him back to the Palace. He found Rogers suited up, with a hand on the glass of the cryo tube. Rogers jerked his hand away when he saw the King. He stepped back, and his red rimmed eyes looked at T’Challa, searching.

“You’ll keep him safe?” Rogers asked, seriously.

“You have my word. We will protect him.” T’Challa said extending his hand. Rogers had a firm handshake. A confident one. His eyes, though, they darted to the cryo tube, and looked far from confident. “Your friend will be here when you return.” The King added, nodding to the cryo tube.

Rogers tried to smile, and reached out, squeezing his hand on the King’s shoulder. Now that he was King, people rarely touched him, except to shake his hand. The medical staff across the room, stood frozen, eyes wide. T’Challa smiled at Rogers who gave one quick glance back at Barnes, before he fled the room. 

Walking up to the glass, T’Challa looked at the frozen damaged man inside. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully, but he wasn’t. Frost glistened in his hair, and on his eyelashes. Unnaturally still, his brainwaves were almost non existent, this was not like sleeping at all. Rogers would go to the ends of the earth to help this man. T’Challa wondered what kind of man Barnes was, to earn that kind of devotion. 

The King turned, waved his security closer, “Have the security on Barnes tripled.” 

Touring a new factory the next day, the King shook many hands and accepted a gift of a finely engineered, custom motorcycle. Afterwards, he left his security detail behind to take the new motorcycle out in the countryside. The afternoon was hot and dry, perfect for a leisurely ride. Enjoying the throaty rumble of the bike, he rode further and further. Eventually, he parked near a scenic view of a beautiful glistening lake. He walked toward a bench under the palm trees. There was a couple on another bench, and they giggled oblivious to the world around them. 

The phone in T’Challa’s pocket buzzed. He checked the screen, ten missed calls. The motorcycle must have drowned out the sound. It buzzed again before he even tried to return the call.

“There was an attack.” The harried security chief blurted, “Barnes is gone.”

“Who?” T’Challa knew the answer.

“Hydra,” the chief confirmed. 

“Find him,” he commanded “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The sleek black motorcycle sped down the roads. It handled as beautifully as it looked. This factory would be getting a few more requests from their King. As he hurried through the countryside, he prayed he would be able to find Barnes quickly. He dreaded having to tell Rogers. The word of a King meant something. He did not take it lightly. 

The King could see something was wrong as he approached the Palace. Nothing looked damaged, but anti-tank guns and other large weaponry was being moved around the security checkpoints. A guard blocked him, before recognizing the King on the new bike. Rushing forward, they opened the gate, and ushered him inside. 

Once inside, an elite Royal Guard was waiting to escort him. The motorcycle was taken to the garage, and an armored car picked up the King. It drove him up the long driveway through luscious gardens, directly to the Palace door. As soon as the door opened, the palace security chief M’Baku was waiting. 

M’Baku bowed, began speaking immediately, following the King along the corridors “Your Highness, Hydra came in through the cleaning staff. They infiltrated the men who launder the scrubs for the medical wing. Using a highly toxic gas, they subdued the security, then made their way to the medical wing for Barnes. We lost four security and two medical, five more personnel are hospitalized They smuggled Barnes out under the laundry. The whole tube was removed. The laundry truck has already been recovered, with the bodies of the actual laundry crew inside.” 

Turning, T’Challa asked, “They unplugged the tube?”

Nodding, M’Baku answered, “It has battery backup, and a temporary generator. It can be self sufficient for two weeks.” 

Long enough to get Barnes someplace remote enough that we will never find him. “Has anyone contacted Rogers yet?” T’Challa asked.

Pulling a handkerchief, M’Baku wiped sweat from his brow, “Not yet. We have tried to find his location. It seems, he has disappeared.” 

The King scowled “How is this possible.”

Stepping back, M’Baku assured his king, “My apologies, Your Highness. These warriors were the finest our Secret Service has to offer, aside for the ones who guard your family of course.”

T‘Challa nodded “The loss of these brave officers will be mourned. Send condolences to each of their families from the King himself. They died in the direct service of their King. Ensure that they receive the proper honors.” he said while walking towards the armory. “Have my personal jet readied for battle.”

Bowing before walking away, M’Baku answered, “Certainly, Your Highness.”

Entering the royal armory, T’Challa began to don the Black Panther armor. The armory’s mahogany walls were covered with weapons of all kinds from generations of Black Panthers. T’Challa only needed the armor. 

When the Black Panther emerged from the armory he had his helmet tucked under his arm. Two guards posted near the door bowed to him. 

One said “Sir, There is word that Tony Stark is trying to contact you.”

“Do we have a location on Rogers or Barnes?” He asked.

“No Sir,” 

Curious, T‘Challa asked, “Stark was contacted?” 

“Yes sir, while trying to locate Captain Rogers”

He frowned, “Did they tell him about Barnes?”

Widening his eyes, the guard answered, “Certainly not sir. We only inquired to the whereabouts of Captain Rogers, and Stark answered with many choice words. But to summarize, he said he doesn’t know where Steve Rogers is.”

T’Challa had wanted to avoid Stark’s involvement, “Then, what does Stark want?”

“He said he wants to talk to you,” the guard answered.

Annoyed, T‘Challa barked “Contact him. Tell him your King is unavailable. He can leave a message with my personal secretary,” he didn’t have time for Stark’s games.

Turning away, the Black Panther strode down the hall towards the War Room. His generals and security chiefs were already gathering any data on the security breach. When he entered the room, they all stopped and bowed.

The Commanding General stepped forward, “Your Highness, our apologies on the breach.”

“I want all data on their route and armaments immediately.”

The general turned and opened a large projected holographic map. On the map were illuminated routes, and pulsing red dots. 

Pointing to the first dot, the General said “This is where the abandoned laundry truck was located eighteen minutes ago,” and tracing a route, he added “this is the projected route they are taking.” 

The King examined the route, trusting his advisors. 

“Have that uploaded to my jet. Continually update it with any new data.” T’Challa said as he left the room heading for the jet. He knew that map like the back of his hand. It was the area around his palace. His home. 

Once inside the jet, he reexamined the map. The Hydra personnel seemed to be escaping via the airport. It was the logical escape route, and the laundry truck was along the route to the airport. It seemed too easy. He kept thinking Hydra were cunning. They had breached the Royal Palace. Taken Barnes from the best of his personal security. Hydra would not be easy to find. 

A seagulls cry broke him from his thoughts as it swooped near the jet. Nearby was an old busy shipyard. It had a fleet of freight vessels that could easily disguise an escape. They didn’t even need the Hydra operatives to stay with the tube. Just send it separately. Barnes was helpless to resist, and would be lost. 

Lifting off, the Black Panther flew towards the shipyards. The cryo tube, had a specific infrared signature. Colder than normal storage. The energy required to power the tube also gave off a distinctive radiation. This combination should be easy to find in a scan.

The shipyard is a flurry of busy forklifts hauling heavy cargo, and cranes lifting large metal boxes onto ships. Rows of mammoth ships piled high with cargo lined up in the water, as small tugboats moved them in and out. 

T’Challa flew low and slow, scanning for energy signatures. Nearing an expansive warehouse, the large bay door was open. Lines of jet fuel drums sat to one side. The warehouse ramp was long, straight and cleaner than the rest of the shipyard. Newly patched. 

His Security contacted him, they reported that the local TV weather monitor spotted a small plane traveling south out of the shipyard area. It flew low, avoiding the local radar. The plane left four minutes ago. Not that much of a lead.

Hitting the thrusters he followed the direction of the jet. Crossing borders, the King knew there might be political fallout, but he wasn’t going to lose Barnes on his watch. White capped water gave way to sandy beaches, then jagged mountains. Over an area of dusty grasslands and scrubby trees, he saw a remote landing strip with a jet giving off a large heat signature. This jet had just landed. 

Flying the perimeter, he scanned the hangar. The cryo unit’s heat signature was unmistakable. Landing, he ran towards the building. Before he entered, gunfire rang out, he heard the hard punch of a high caliber rounds pound into him. The suit absorbed the shock, and the bullets fell away. He kept running. Once inside, he dispatched the hangar crew. The guards were dead in seconds, and their vehicles disabled. 

Inside the back room, he found the cryo chamber. His heart stopped. It sat abandoned in the middle of a storage room. The glass on the front was shattered, and littered the floor around the chamber. A hammer thrown to the floor carelessly beside it. They hadn’t bothered to use the proper thawing procedures. They just smashed the glass and snatched Barnes out. 

Searching the room, the Black Panther tried to find a clue about where they would take Barnes. The room was empty of anything useful, and he worried he might lose their trail. The plane had only landed minutes ago, they couldn’t have gotten far. He would search by air.

Once back in the jet, he began a pattern of widening circles. Eventually, he found a vehicle speeding away. Flying towards it, he saw four heat signatures inside. 

T’Challa strafed the engine, and the truck rolled to a halt. Armed men jumped out. One fired a handheld anti aircraft rocket, and the Black Panther jumped free before it hit. The jet exploded. 

Rolling to the ground, the Black Panther attacked the men, disarming and disemboweling them one after the next. As he fought the fourth hydra agent, he realized he must have the wrong vehicle. Four Hydra, four heat signatures. 

This mistake could cost him. Now, he was trapped in a foreign country with no aircraft to track down Barnes. Annoyed, he brought down the last Hydra operative with swift brutality. 

A warm dry wind swirled dust past him as he stood in the middle of four dead Hydra, and one smoking SUV.

Turning to the vehicle for clues, he yanked open the driver door. Bound, and blindfolded in the back seat, Barnes jumped, leaned away from the sound. T’Challa could see Barnes shiver with great shudders. His body temperature was low enough, that T’Challa hadn’t been able to discern him from the equipment. 

“Easy James. You are safe now. I am your friend.” he said leaning into the back to pull off the blindfold. Once it was off, Bucky stared at the man in front of him with wide frightened eyes. 

Reaching up T’Challa took off his mask. “It is me, Barnes. T’Challa.”

Barnes showed no sign of recognition. The engine was on fire, and T’Challa reached around to open the back door. Barnes slid away from him, towards the far side. Leaning, T’Challa had to stretch to grab him. Barnes had one hand chained to a metal band around his waist. Pulling him, T’Challa slid him back towards the open door, where he stumbled out of the SUV. Barnes felt like ice, and had a bluish hue to his pale skin. 

Leading Barnes away a safe distance, T’Challa was almost tempted to carry him. His shaking was so violent it clacked his teeth, even though the temperature around them was well into the high 80’s. His legs didn’t seem to fully respond to his thoughts, as he stumbled along.

Near the side of the road, T’Challa helped Barnes sit on a fallen tree. T’Challa knelt in front of Barnes, who seemed determined to keep trying to pull away. 

“Let me get this off of you.” T’Challa said tugging the restraints. 

Barnes continued to pull his hand back, angling away whenever T’Challa tried to touch him. “Do you remember me?” T’Challa asked.

Barnes looked at him, but didn’t answer. “Do you know who you are?” T’Challa asked. 

T’Challa couldn’t tell how the sudden removal from cryo would effect someone’s brain. Even someone enhanced. Barnes hadn’t been out of the tube very long, he still hadn’t fully thawed. There was a very real possibility Hydra had damaged him in their careless disregard for his safety. Maybe they assumed that eventually he would heal.

Taking a few seconds, Barnes, blinked and focused on T’Challa’s face. Faintly he mumbled “Bucky Barnes…James?” pausing, he tried to focus again “Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes …32.. 5...5?” his eyebrow came together, his voice faded out. He looked confused.

“It’s okay Bucky. Let’s get the restraint off of you,” T’Challa reached out. This time, Bucky blinked at him with wide eyes, but didn’t pull away. He kept his hand around front and perfectly still, but for it’s trembling.

Pulling the restraint from Barnes, T’Challa threw it into the distance with anger. He stood, looking Barnes over. He seemed unharmed except for his dangerously low body temperature. Barnes was in what he had been wearing in the cryo tube. The only difference was that he was now covered in dry Kenyan dust. The formerly white tank top and sleep pants were stained with handprints and smudges. The remains of his left arm was still covered in the black soft covering, and his feet were bare. While he looked Barnes over, the SUV behind T’Challa exploded. Barnes flinched away, gasped up at T’Challa.

Stalking back to the burning vehicle, T’Challa tried to find anything useful. Now engulfed in flames, everything inside the SUV was gone. The bodies outside had weapons, and one wore a jacket with a minimum of blood. Stripping the jacket from the Hydra agent, he presented it to Barnes, who took one look at the blood and almost vomited on T’Challa’s toes. Thankfully, due to the cryo, there was nothing in Barnes’ stomach, and it was just a long dry heave.

Taking a step away, T’Challa gave Barnes’ back a perfunctory pat. Then aimed the jacket towards him again. 

Shakily, Barnes took it and clumsily tried to get it on. T’Challa helped him get it around his body and secured. Once the Jacket was on, T’Challa grabbed the empty sleeve and tucked it into the front of the jacket. Next, he helped Barnes into a dead man’s boots. 

Leaning down and taking Barnes by the hand, T’Challa tugged. “Let’s go. It will be cold when it is dark, and you my friend are cold enough.” Leading Barnes down the road, he added “If I remember the map, there is a village further down this road.”

Barnes looked back at the SUV, his eyebrows came together. “Shouldn’t we go back the other way?” 

“The Hydra agents back that way are all dead. There is nothing at that base to help us.” T’Challa scanned the horizon for threats.

“Then, it’s safe back that way,” Barnes kept with that train of thought “They’re dead.”

“Yes, but this way there may be vehicles and people.” T’Challa hadn’t slowed yet, but looked back at Barnes who did.

“Hydra People?” He asked, stopping.

Black Panther stopped too. He realized what Barnes was saying. It was a possibility the village was Hydra. Maybe it was their destination “We will stop outside the village. Watch their activities before we enter.”

Frowning, Barnes stared at the ground before nodding. “Okay, yeah. That makes sense.” 

They walked for an hour. Barnes had begun to warm up. In the beginning his teeth rattled as they walked, now he was still cool to the touch, but warmer, more coordinated. There was still no village as far as the eye can see. 

“I thought you said there was a town up ahead,” Barnes groused. 

“A village,” T’Challa reminded him. 

“Yeah, a village,” Barnes said, stopping and swaying on his feet, “I gotta sit down.”

T’Challa settled Barnes under a scraggly tree. He crouched in front of him. “Stay here, and if you see anyone, stay hidden. I will be back soon.” 

Barnes nodded at him, then T’Challa stood and took off like a shot. At a full sprint, T’Challa tore across the countryside. Within fifteen minutes, he approached signs of a village ahead. He slipped closer unseen, then before long, he saw signs of Hydra. Barnes was right, they should have gone back the other way. 

Counting heads, T’Challa tried to factor if he could take down the base by himself. If he had better weapons maybe. Without weapons, he would have to be more subtle.

After nightfall, he could do some serious damage then escape into the darkness. He watched them for a while, planning his strategy, then returned to Barnes.

Arriving back at the tree, T’Challa found Barnes missing. 

Slowly he scanned the ground, Barnes was good at hiding his tracks, even in his weakened state. The Black Panther, however was a natural tracker and soon he located his prey. Barnes had found a safe spot to hide, and was curled up asleep. 

The sun had dipped towards the horizon, and long shadows had begun to dot the landscape. Barnes was wedged into a nook in a rocky outcropping, the cool spot was out of the way, and out of the sun. He had begun to shiver again. T’Challa sighed and took off the top half of his suit, draped it over the bloody Hydra jacket. Barnes’ body temperature was still extremely low. He shouldn’t spend the night out here, but it couldn’t be helped. A fire was also out of the question, unless they wanted to alert Hydra to their location. 

Long shadows merged and mingled as night came on. Bright stars dotted the clear dusk sky. Continuing to sleep, Barnes’ body was most likely attempting to repair the grievous harm of being unfrozen improperly. T’Challa didn’t know the proper procedure, but he doubted smashing the glass and yanking Barnes out was an authorized method. Checking on Barnes, T’Challa found him curled even tighter, and cold as a stone. Barnes didn’t stir when T‘Challa touched him. Donning his mask again, the Black Panther ran towards to the Hydra outpost in the village. He left Barnes covered in the Panther armor. The Black Panther would be just as deadly in his undershirt.

Making sure to run well off of the road, he saw no traffic. When he was close enough so see it, T’Challa found that the outpost had come to life. The village was teeming with Hydra vehicles and men. They were probably alerted to the Winter Soldier’s escape, and forming search parties. 

Sneaking into the base, T’Challa sabotaged and damaged equipment. Radios were missing their antenna cables, weapons missing guidance systems, and rockets rewired to explode upon firing. Grenades without pins were tucked around in the backs of the vehicles, ready for the next bumpy road to pull them free. Finally, with his sabotage finished, he sat in the shadows outside the village and watched the first groups drive off to search for Barnes. 

The explosions happened almost immediately, chaos spread throughout the base. Soon the flames were lighting up the sky. Separated from the main base, search party stragglers were easily picked off in the dark. 

Many hours later, as dawn began to approach, T’Challa left the base. Not many Hydra had survived. The ones that did, had begun to regroup and were taking refuge in an underground bunker. Almost everything above ground was now a pile of smoldering ash. T’Challa would check on Barnes, then return to finish off the stragglers. 

Arriving back at Barnes little outcropping of rock, he found that Barnes hadn’t fared well during the night. Consumed with the fate of the village Hydra base, T’Challa hadn’t considered Hydra from other locations might come to find Barnes.

There were signs of a scuffle, and one Hydra operative with his shin and neck snapped lie sprawled in the dirt. Barnes was gone. 

Easily finding the tire tracks, T’Challa raced after the vehicle. He found it less than five miles away, crashed into the ditch with a dead Hydra operative at the wheel. The three remaining Hydra were at the roadside beating Barnes to a pulp with crackling, sparking, stun batons. Bludgeoning him with brute force and fury. 

Running straight into the fray, T’Challa had his hands full. That last post was full of locals, hired to hold down a tiny village Hydra base. These three were sent to recapture the Winter Soldier. They were strong and fast. Fought like warriors. T’Challa was better than them, but down to shirtsleeves, while Barnes lie helpless and almost unconscious. The Hydra enemy were armed experts, possibly enhanced. It took T’Challa a while to take down the first Hydra operative, then finally another. He was tired as he fought the last one. 

Lights came over the rise, and the Hydra operative yelled out “Hail Hydra, cut off one head, two more grow in it’s place.” And sure enough two more Hydra vehicles were coming in hard and fast. Barnes had crawled far enough to reach a weapon. As it charged, blue light emanated from the vents in the weapon. T’Challa rushed to him. 

Locking eyes with T’Challa, Barnes held the weapon under his chin. He paused “Tell Steve I’m so..” Before he could finish, T’Challa lunged. 

Pushing the weapon, T’Challa changed the angle enough that when he pulled the trigger, the blue ray singed the sideburns by Barnes’ ear. Barnes eyes were wet and wide. He looked horrified and betrayed. He and T’Challa grappled for the gun. Behind them the Hydra agent laughed. 

The weapon in their hands fired again, again missing them both. Suddenly, a series of explosions startled them both to stillness. The Hydra agent had also stopped laughing. He stood silhouetted in the flaming wreckage. His back was to them. T’Challa took the chance, with the weapon still in Bucky’s hand he twisted it, firing at the Hydra operative. He fizzled away to disappear in a blue light and a scream. 

With a thump, Iron Man landed in the dust of the Hydra operative, said “Hey man, what’s the deal? You don’t return my calls any more?”

“I have been busy,” T’Challa said, still holding onto Bucky’s cold hand, with the weapon between them.

“Yeah, I can see that. You caught yourself an assassin. Thanks. It’s not my birthday, but I’ll take him anyways. I always love a present,” Iron Man was striding closer.

Catching a glimpse of Bucky’s pained face, T’Challa turned, stood, put himself between Bucky and Iron Man. “Thank you for rescuing us. But, I can not allow you to have this man.” 

Stopping, Tony said, “I don’t think we are in Wakanda any more Dorothy. You don’t call the shots here,” Tony moved to step around T’Challa, who continued to block his path.

Face to mask, T’Challa levelly said “This man is a victim, Tony.” 

The mask flew up, Tony barked “Don’t give me that bullshit. His bare hands,” Tony choked up, restarted “He snapped their necks with his hands. He murdered my parents,” Tears were in Tony’s eyes.

“I’m sorry Tony,” T’Challa said with understanding, “But, you have no authority to be here either.” 

“Stop.” Bucky said from the ground, he was sitting up, leaning against a stone. Tears were in his eyes. “He’s right. I did… My hands. I did those things.” Bucky wouldn’t look up. His eyes darted as though his memories were written on the ground. Breaking the silence he said “I shouldn’t be here,” Finally, he looked up, stared at the sky, he didn’t look Tony in the eyes. “Stark, I would rather…If I could turn back time and died in Azzano, I would. I remember everything. I did it. I don’t deny any of it.” 

Growling, T‘Challa yelled, “But you didn’t choose it. Those men,” he pointed to the burning trucks, spat at the ground, “those men chose Hydra.”

“I can’t stop Hydra from controlling me!” Barnes shouted. He shuddered a sigh, then softly said “I can’t stop them.” he covered his face with his hand.

Stark looked at his feet, “Yeah, about that.” he swallowed, frowned, kicked a rock. Looking up, he continued, “I may have the notebook, with all the crazy Hydra talk.” 

They both looked up at Tony, while Tony looked off into space. Tony took a deep breath, looked back at T’Challa “See, I’m not really convinced that a string of words controls this guy,” Tony sighed again. “Finding one soviet notebook shouldn’t let him off the hook for murder. It doesn’t mean he shouldn’t pay. ”

Quietly, T’Challa said “I think he has paid enough.”

Everyone was silent, the only sound being the roar of the fire. From his seat on the ground, Bucky shuddered again, grunted with the force of it.

“Hey?” Stark blurted out, noticing Bucky “Why’s he so cold? You have a freeze ray, Panther King? Because this guy is taking hypothermia to whole new levels.” Bucky shuddered again, clutched his chest. “I think he’s having a heart attack. The scans say he’s having a heart attack.”

Rushing to Bucky’s side, T’Challa looked at Bucky’s glazed expression. “Tony, you need to get him to my medical wing. They will have the tools to treat him.” 

“Oh, No, No. This guy has a cell with his name on it. Do not pass go. Straight to jail.” 

Kneeling next to Barnes, T’Challa looked up at Stark, “Tony, Barnes had himself cryogenically frozen. These Hydra brutes smashed the tube with a hammer. He needs medical treatment.”

“Why?” Tony asked, unmoving.

“Because, he is a human being.” T’Challa roared.

“No. Why did Ice-Man refreeze himself?” Tony asked quietly.

Sighing T’Challa answered, “This way he wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

Walking forward Tony said, “So, he’s as self sacrificing as Spangles.” He reached down and lifted Bucky, who had become listless, eyes glazed, head lolling. “How did you and the Rogers find each other as kids? Does his behavior rub off or is it in the water?” He tucked Bucky’s limp arm in, securing it. Turning to T’Challa he added “The rescue mission from the Wakandan special forces should be here in ten.” Lifting off, he shot into the sky, streaking back towards Wakanda.

When T’Challa arrived back at the palace medical wing, he found Steve Rogers looking worse for wear and pacing. Tony lounged nearby eating a meatball sub. Rogers looked up expectantly, T’Challa extended his hand. As they shook, Steve thanked him for saving Bucky, for his sacrifice, for putting his people’s lives on the line, for everything. He looked so sad, he must know about the people who died to protect Bucky. 

“He has suffered enough.” T’Challa said, and noticed that Stark looked away.

Slumping down into a seat, Rogers put his face in his hands. “I didn’t find anything to help him. Everything was a dead end. Hydra can still control him. The doctors are doing all that work to save him, and we’re going to have to put him back on ice. His last thoughts before being frozen are going to be that every time he wakes, Hydra is there. I thought we could protect him…I don’t think he wants to live this way.” Steve ran his hand over his face, up into his hair. He looked at T’Challa, “He was afraid of this.” Tears glistened in his eyes.

Tony cleared his throat. Rogers looked away. 

Begging, Rogers asked “Not now, Tony. Please.” He took a shaky breath “Not now.” 

T’Challa sat next to Rogers, put his hand on the man’s shoulder, “Actually Tony might be able to help.” He paused “Tony?”

“Yeah, about that. I think I may have come across a notebook. Thin red thing with a big star.” Tony said around his chewing.

Rogers sat up, he had gone pale. “Please, Tony.” he whispered.

“As I was saying, red notebook full of crazy talk, and random words. Indoctrination, gas lighting, torture, brains so charged full of juice I can’t see how he remembers his own name… Sorry, Sorry. I guess Manchurian Candidate doesn’t always even remember that.” Tony paused. 

Rogers had tears streaming down his cheeks. He still looked so afraid, he had become pale and shook. T’Challa could tell he didn’t think Tony would help Barnes. That this was some sort of revenge. Tony had the information Rogers wanted, but now it was gone. Unreachable.

Shaking his head, Tony started again, “You gotta stop with the waterworks. I thought you greatest generation guys didn’t have tear ducts. My Dad would be fuming if he knew I made Captain America cry…” 

Tony paused, set the sandwich down. “My dad…and my mom, Steve. He killed them.” Tony leaned back closed his eyes. “I can’t scrub the image from my mind. I dream about it. I see it everywhere I look.” 

His eyes opened and he looked at Rogers. “I read the red Russian torture book. Barnes told me he wished he had died.” Rogers gasped, but Tony kept going “I don’t doubt he did, but I still can’t look him in the eyes.” Rogers looked away “Steve, you can have the book. Maybe it can end the suffering for him, or at least stop him from killing anybody else.”

Rogers sprung to his feet, he looked like he might pass out. Also standing, T’Challa put a steadying hand on Rogers’ arm. The relief was evident on his face as he smiled and tears rolled down his cheeks. He choked out the words “Thank You, Tony. I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Say that I am a wonderfully generous human being, who turns the other cheek, casts no first stone, and saves lives, by not letting Barnes continue to be a psycho killing machine.” He smirked tossing chips into his mouth. “Oh, and lives were saved without me having to put your boy down like a rabid dog. After the Wakandans decode this thing, he can go for walks out in the park without his old masters turning him on us.”

Beaming, Rogers didn’t even look like he was listening to Stark. He just pressed his hands against the glass window. Watching, waiting. 

Rogers lit up when they wheeled Barnes back around the corner. Barnes lie back on a bed, eyes closed. His skin was pale and lips had a bit of color, even though they were still tinged blue. A million tubes and wires ran to machines at his bedside, and it took four nurses to get all of the equipment and machinery set up around his bed. 

Finally, when they were finished, they filed from the room, and one nurse came to tell Rogers he could go in now. Rogers rushed into the room. Reached out and carefully took Barnes’ hand. Barnes fluttered his eyelashes, but remained asleep. 

Smiling, T’Challa placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder. Tony had stopped eating, and when he looked up he had unshed tears in his eyes. “I can’t unsee it.” Tony whispered. 

“I know.” T’Challa squeezed his shoulder “I know.”


End file.
